Saving Grace
by pcaulfield7
Summary: Nobody leaves Beacon Hills. Those who do don't come back. Grace Lancaster fled 6 months ago with her mother before school started, before Laura Hale's body was found, before everything. She didn't expect anything to change when she returned, but she's about to learn that a lot can happen in 6 months and she's more a part of it than she could ever imagine.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello again everyone. As promised, I am restarting this story. It begins in the fifth episode of season two. Essentially Isaac just got back to school and everyone suspects Lydia is the kanima. It's the episode where you find out Jackson is the kanima at the very end (sorry if I just spoiled that for anyone!)**

**Thank you for sticking with me! Hopefully you enjoy it and maybe if you read and post lots of reviews, I can have another chapter up tomorrow. I'm not making any promises though. Thanks again for all of your love and support.**

**PS- If you find any mistakes please let me know! I sometimes write late at night and typos happen. I think I've corrected most of them but just let me know.**

**Disclaimer: I am not as creative or amazing as Jeff Davis (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JEFF!) or the other writers of Teen Wolf. I only own my original characters.**

* * *

Chapter 1

Cricket chirped faintly outside her window filling the empty air. Her pen was poised over a fresh piece of paper in her moleskin. There were small pen scratches on the corner, but no words written. Her eyes fell on her phone, the screen still black. She was waiting for a text she wasn't sure she'd ever get.

The wind rustled the tree branches in her backyard. Downstairs, her dad's feet hit the floor. She held her breath, waiting. There was the clank of the her father's glass on the coffee table. On cue, she snapped her notebook shut over her pen, slid it under her bed, and shut off the lights. All the while, she listened to the steps creak under his weight.

There was a light tap on the door. She froze. He opened the door a sliver, peeking his head inside to check on his daughter. Eyes clamped tight, her body was shifted away from the door so he couldn't see her face. Seconds later, he closed the door again, letting out a contented sigh. She didn't reach for her notebook again.

She rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling, tracing the natural patterns. The sports reporter downstairs mumble something; her father rummage through the empty fridge. She made a mental note to stop by the grocery store after school and pick up some of the basics. She had been horrified to find her father's fridge filled with beer and rotting cold cuts upon her arrival at 2. He probably only put up with her critique because he was happy to have her back.

Most of the house in the same state of disarray excluding her room and the room next to hers. Her purple comforter still blanketed her bed, neatly smoothed out. Her sheets were still tucked in neatly, and her pillows were still arranged haphazardly. Her black heels were still at the end of her bed. The clothes she had left behind still hung in her closet, some with the tag still on. Her new books for school still sat on a neat pile on her desk, her summer reading book left open on her bedside table.

She rolled back out on her side and looked out the window. The moonlight shone over her yard, but did not penetrate the trees at the boundary. Trying to distract herself, she focused on the individual outlines of each tree. She knew she was beyond sleep, imagining the reaction to her return to school. Grace watched the rustling branches, not knowing how much time passed when she saw the bushes rustle. Then a pair of bright red eyes peered out from the trees. She screamed.

The glass clanked against the table again. Her dad came barreling up the steps. He flung her door open, letting it smash against the wall. He was breathing heavily, drawing her attention away from the trees. Her eyes were wide with shock.

"Are you alright?" he asked, rushing towards her bed.

"I'm fine," she breathed.

"I thought I heard you scream, I thought maybe..."

He trailed off. He didn't need to finish, she understood. She glanced back outside, but the eyes had disappeared. She let out a sigh of relief, turning back to her dad.

"I'm ok. Just a bug."

"Oh," he shook his head, "Did you get it?"

She managed a weak smile, "Yeah "

"Well, you should get some sleep now, pumpkin. You have a busy day tomorrow," he said, trying to lighten the mood, "What time do you want me to wake you?"

"You don't need to," she said hurriedly, correcting herself moments later when his face fell, "I mean, I'll set an alarm. I don't want to wake you up. I tend to be an early riser."

"I remember," he said, "But alright."

"Goodnight, Dad," she called as he made his way to the door.

"Goodnight, Grace."

The door clicked; she burrowed back under her covers, hoping to get some sleep.

* * *

Looking up at the looming building, Grace wondered why she hadn't taken up her dad's offer to stay home an extra day. Students shoved past her, elbowing her to the side as the flooded into the building through the red doors. She melded into the crowd, laying low. The less people who recognized her, the better. She fixed the straps on her trusty, black Jansport backpack as she climbed the staircase.

Her phone was still blank, the screen read "No New Messages." She opened up to the number she had memorized by heart and typed: _Hey, not sure if you got my last text. First day back at Beacon Hills High, maybe we have classes together? :)_

She pressed send, then threw her phone into her bag, and stepped inside. Blatant stares and whispers bombarded her. It was like the seas parting for Moses, if the seas were gossiping about Moses's lack of style and mysterious reappearance. She looked down at her shoes instead, shuffling along to her locker, hoping they hadn't given it away. Usually students got to keep their lockers all four years. But then again...

"Grace, Grace Lancaster?" a familiar voice called.

A tall, tan blonde bouncing towards her, waving and smiling like a maniac. Grace couldn't help but smile as the girl embraced her.

"Where has my favorite underclassmen been all year?"

There was a short pause.

"Isn't it just better that I'm back?"

"Of course," the blonde smiled a little too wide.

"I hope no one took my spot on the school paper," Grace teased, eager to change the subject.

The tall blonde was Keira Mason, a senior and the editor of the _Beacon Hills Tribune_, their high school newspaper. She has taken Grace under her wing freshman year, protecting the newbie from the upperclassmen. Grace was, to say the least, eternally grateful. Therefore, she put up with Keira's gossipy tendencies, learning to say as little as possible around her.

"I could never replace you," she winked, still beaming.

"Great, I-"

"We still meet on Wednesdays, but now that Ellen left, I could use an extra hand after school," Keira offered.

"I'd love to," Grace agreed immediately, picturing herself the first sophomore editor.

"Perf," the blonde announced, "I have to get to class, I'll text you later, unless you changed your number too?"

"Nope," she blushed slightly, "Still the same number."

"Oh, and I have to catch you up on all the drama," she squealed.

"I have a free period 5th?"

"I'll see you then," Keira promised, turning to wave to someone else. She looked back at Grace.

"Good luck," the blonde waved before disappearing into the crowd from which she came.

The small brunette escaped from the crowd into the office, relishing in the silence of the air conditioning for a moment before a nasally voice interrupted her.

"Can I help you?" an older lady with dyed red hair asked.

"Yes, um," she paused, trying to figure out how to word it, "I'm Grace Lancaster, I-"

"OH!" she exclaimed, "You look just like your brother Tyler, yes, yes I have your schedule right here."

The office attendant rambled on while she fished out Grace's schedule, much to the girl's display. Students stared at her on the other side of the glass like an animal in a cage at the zoo. She averted her eyes as students passed, not wanting to make eye contact. Finally, the attendant slap her schedule down, her nails snapping against the counter.

"Here you are," she beamed, "I hope you have a good rest of the year."

The pity in her tone made Grace cringe. She had wrongly believed no one would notice her return, clearly forgetting that in a town as small as Beacon Hills, everyone knows everything. Braced for the gossip, she stepped out into the hall again. In the office, the air conditioning drowned out the whispers that accompanied their stares. Words like "crazy" and "hospital" filled her ears- both of which could not be further from the truth.

She quickened her steps, following the familiar path back to her old locker. There was no way to drown out the noise, a lesson learned from bell rang as she reached her locker. Students reluctantly shuffled into their classrooms, leaving her in the empty hallway with only the click of her lock to keep her company. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Dude, have you seen her lately," she heard a voice down the hall.

She froze.

"You think she's actually gone crazy?" another voice asked.

"Definitely not," another disagreed, "Hot chicks can't be crazy, it's like scientifically proven."

Grace rolled her eyes listening to the jocks. She forgot that the lacrosse players were allowed to go to practice late if they had a morning practice. Preferential treatment for jocks, she came to realize quickly, was commonality in every school. No matter where her mother enrolled her, the atmosphere was the same. At least at Beacon Hills she knew who the jocks were and therefore who to avoid. She fumbled to shove her books into her locker before they rounded the corner.

"Speaking of crazy, I just got a text that Grace Lancaster is back," the first voice said.

"Who?" the second one asked.

She shoved the remaining books into her locker, slamming in shut. Despite it being farther, she chose to walk away from the jocks. She couldn't handle a face-to-face confrontation about where she had been. She didn't have all the answers just yet.

"The sophomore whose brother ran away like 5 years ago," the first explained.

Two voices echoed an 'oh', then one said something else, but she wasn't listening. She rounded the corner just in time to avoid anyone on the team, not anticipating anyone else to be in the hall after the bell had rung. Therefore, Grace absolved herself from the blame of what happened next.

She slammed into someone at full speed, dropping her notebook and schedule in the process. It was a small success that she hadn't fallen or knocked the other person over in the process. Her books were sprawled on the ground. She leaned down to pick up her books and the phone next to them.

"I'm so sorry," she blurted out, her head snapping up to look at the mysterious road block.

The brunette looked equally as flustered, bending down to grab her phone. She checked it for scratches before looking at the smaller girl. Grace didn't recognize the girl who had dark curly hair and a decent fashion sense. _Looks like a friend of Lydia_, she thought cryptically. Any friend of Lydia Martin was not a friend of Grace.

The girl's features seemed to soften, even offering her hand to help Grace up.

"No, I'm sorry," she smiled, "I'm Allison Argent, you must be new."

"Kind of," Grace admitted, "I went here last year, but just transferred back."

"So not completely new?"

"Not exactly," she shrugged, "What about you?"

"I moved here at the beginning of the year," the girl, Allison, explained.

"That's, uh, exciting."

"Yeah," she nodded, "What do you have this period."

"Trig with," Grace glanced at her schedule, "Yule."

"No way," Allison grinned, "Me too. We can show up late together."

Allison was only being nice because she was 'new' but she didn't mind. It seemed no one had filled her in on the Lancaster family drama leaving Grace with a clean slate. She enjoyed the casual conversation with Allison as they made their way to math. The walk didn't involve pity glances or careful avoidance of the subject of swimming, siblings, or really anything that might 'set her off.'

"What other classes do you have?" Allison whispered towards the end of the period.

Grace shoved her schedule towards Allison, keeping her eyes forward, wanting to avoid being yelled at again. Mr. Yule had given them a stern talking to when entering his class late. It hadn't helped that the whole class had stared at her the entire time. Thankfully, Allison hadn't noticed.

"We have Chemistry with Lydia," Allison paused, "Do you know her?"

"Yeah," Grace forced a smile.

"Awesome, we can all sit together," she beamed, "I'll text her now and let her know incase you get there before me."

"Can't wait," Grace agreed, waving to Allison as she headed down the hall.

Grace let out a sigh, walking in the opposite direction. Lydia wasn't her favorite person, but Allison seemed really nice. That, and she still hadn't got a text back. She headed down the hall, sending Keira a text she immediately regretted. The purpose, she decided, was that she needed to know what happened while she was gone before walking into that chemistry classroom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I'm sorry for the wait. I was hoping to get this chapter up sooner. But better late than never, right? I'll try to be more true to my updates in the future. I have a few announcements today too. **

**First, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Father's Day. Second, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed my story! I'm so grateful for all of your comments, the praise and constructive criticism. Everything you comment helps me make my story better so don't be afraid to let me know what you did or didn't like. I'm moving right along, writing and editing chapters. Third, I hope to have Chapter 3 up by Tuesday. I'm going to try to finish season two by the end of June and then I'll start on season 3. However, I can't promise I'll always be updating every two or three days. Eventually, I'd like my story to line up with the episodes so I can start posting chapters the same week the episode comes out. We'll see what happens.**

**Disclaimer: I am not nearly as cool as Jeff Davis or I'd know Dylan O'Brien too. I also do not own the characters or general idea behind Teen Wolf.**

* * *

Chapter 2

"Girl, you have missed a ton!" Keira exclaimed the minute she entered the press room.

Her head snapped up from her phone. The last text read: _Hey, chem 6th and 7th with Lydia Martin. SOS! Could really use my best friend. Text me back?_

She was starting to believe she was never going to be answered.

The press room was more like a large closet than a small classroom. It was filled with large printing machines and computers for the paper. Last year, Keira, Grace, and Ellen had dragged in a couple old arm chairs to make it more comfortable. Most writers worked on their laptops, but they weren't allowed to get rid of the computers so they sat on the walls collecting dust. The room was comfortable though.

"You've mentioned," Grace nodded, collapsing into one of the chairs.

"First of all, Jackson and Lydia broke up," she gushed, "Isn't that exciting?"

"I guess," she hummed, opening to a blank page in her notebook. She didn't want to gossip all period.

"Yeah and Lydia was hospitalized and then she ran away and now she has like periodic meltdowns in school," Keira continued, "Totally crazy."

"Maybe she's just having a tough time," Grace answered, shocked by her own defense.

"Are you defending Lydia Martin?" Keira asked, obviously equally as shocked.

"I just," she shrugged, "I guess I understand what its like to have people assume things about you."

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Right, well Jackson has been acting weird too. Super violent and stuff."

"That's weird."

"Are you taking notes?" Keira asked.

"No," Grace blushed, "I was working on something for the paper while you filled me in."

"On loose leaf?"

"I don't like bringing my laptop to school."

"Oh, alright," she shrugged, "Have you met Allison Argent yet?"

"Yeah, actually, why?"

"Do you remember the Hale House fire?"

"Who doesn't?"

Grace's dad, a volunteer firefighter, had been called in on emergency. He came home that day sullen. Her brother pried for information, but she knew better than to ask. Her mother sobbed for days. Her mom was apparently close with the family, though Grace had never met the children. Left with her friends, the then 7 year old was not allowed to go to the funeral. But Tyler and her parents had gone. Tyler was 11.

"Well her Aunt Kate is the one that started the fire and then she came back a few months ago and killed someone and then she died and it was nuts."

The unabashed way Keira dissected there lives left Grace uncomfortable.

"That's sad," Grace sighed, "She's really sweet."

"I'd be careful if I was you," Keira shrugged, "I mean Scott seems ok, but still."

"Scott McCall?"

Keira launched into the apparent success story of Scott McCall then. Grace couldn't help but wonder why she cared so much about one group of sophomores. She rambled on about Scott joining the lacrosse team and being crazy good and dating Allison, made guesses as to why he had gotten so good, and ridiculed him because his mom was a nurse and his dad wasn't around. The final prognosis was that he was falling apart. He and Allison broke up, a "total tragedy" in Keira's words, because her parents approved. Grace was struck with a pang of sympathy for the plight of the couple.

"And you'll never guess who else-"

The bell rang and she jumped up, shoving her notebook into her bag. Keira's gossip had taken up the entire period leaving no room for work. The only revelation she had was that the senior was more judgmental than she remembered. Keira came from a wealthy family, happily married parents, older sister who was just as beautiful. Looking down on people was a past time for the blonde. Grace couldn't help but wonder as she walked to chemistry what Keira had said about her when she was away.

She pushed the thought when she walked in the room, immediately noticing Lydia at the first lab table. The red-head waved her over, smiling brightly. She assumed Lydia had talked to Allison and agreed to be nice. That, or everything she'd gone through really made her a better person. Either way, Grace was grateful for the distraction. Especially when her phone had not buzzed once all day.

Scott and Stiles were crowding in the doorway, starring someone down. Muttering a polite excuse me, she moved around them to vacate one of the two seats on either side of Lydia. That's when she noticed who Scott and Stiles were staring at- Erica Reyes and Isaac Lahey decked out in matching leather jackets. The change was so obvious she was surprised Keira hadn't commented on it. The girl had said something while Grace was leaving.

She waved half heartedly to Erica, who didn't acknowledge her. Sighing, Grace sank down into the seat next to Lydia, offering her the same greeting. Lydia looked slightly shaken, but not unwelcoming. Her eyes were rimmed with red like she had been crying. Instead of asking what was wrong, Grace decided to dig through her bag for her notebook in pen.

"Welcome back, Grace."

"Thanks."

Moments later, there was a scramble resulting in Stiles throwing himself at the other chair. Lydia gave Stiles a less than welcoming grimace. Scott was standing in front of her chair, looking at her like he hadn't realized she was there. The chairs at the lab table behind her scraped the floor as Erica and Isaac took their seats.

"Would you mind if I sat there today?" Scott glanced back at the pair behind her, wringing his hands as he asked.

"She's staying," Lydia snapped just as Allison entered the room, "Why don't you sit next to Allison?"

"I don't know if that's a very good idea," Allison started to say, but Scott was already taking a seat next to her.

Grace watched them exchange a look, Scott motioning behind her, presumably at Erica and Isaac. Allison nodded, slightly alarmed. She turned back to Lydia to see her focusing intently on the chalk board. Stiles was turned around, engrossed in something. Curious, Grace followed in suit. _Maybe I can talk to Erica now, _she thought. But the blonde was already locked in a stare down with Stiles and she met the gaze of a certain blue eyed boy. He smirked, eliciting a faint blush.

"Einstein once said two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity. And I'm not so sure about the universe."

Her head snapped up to focus on the teacher standing in the back of the classroom, circling his way up. The snippy voice did not go unrecognized. Adrian Harris paused his mantra to stare at his new student. He then continued to explain that the class would be doing group lab work, and would constantly be rotating partners. She struggled to stop herself from letting out a groan of contention, preferring the surprisingly non-judgmental company of Lydia Martin to anyone else in the room.

_Maybe Erica will finally talk to me_, she thought, but was beginning to doubt it. Especially if she had to work with Isaac too. There was no way she would get the girl back to her giggly, sweet self around her new, tough looking friends. _Seriously, the leather is a little much_, she thought, glancing backwards at the pair again. She wasn't prepared to see Isaac staring back at her intently. Blushing again, she looked back up front.

"This should be fun," Lydia whispered, her tone laced with the sarcasm Grace knew well.

"Nothing like a group lab to reintroduce yourself."

The redhead laughed briefly at her sarcasm. Stiles watched Lydia on the other side with a mixed expression of shock and awe. Apparently one thing hadn't changed in Beacon Hills - Stiles Stilinski's obsessive crush on Lydia Martin. He still worshiped her like the Aztec's worshipped the sun as far as she could tell. The small fact was reassuring, but she couldn't help wondering if Erica ever recovered from her crush on Stiles. From the looks of it, Erica was with Isaac anyway.

"Erica, take the first station, start," he paused, frowning as several male hands shot up in the air, "I didn't ask for volunteers. Put your hormonal hands down-" Grace smothered a smile- "Start with Mr. McCall. Ok next two."

Grace glanced at Allison to see her frowning at her lab table. From the looks of things, Erica had become pretty popular with the boys. She always knew that her best friend was beautiful from the countless makeovers they had done at sleepovers over the years. Apparently, it took leather and hot boys, not your best friend, to convince you of that.

Allison was paired with Lydia to start, and Grace was stuck with Stiles. She breathed a sigh of relief when Isaac was moved to sit next to Kyle in the back. The constant feeling of his eyes on the back of her head was starting to make her uncomfortable. She turned to smile at Stiles, a weak attempt to be friendly. Thankfully, he was pretty sympathetic to her plight.

"Excited to be back?" he asked, going to drop the first ingredient into the beaker.

"Not exactly," she shrugged, "I guess there's no place like home?"

He chuckled nervously, "Exactly."

He picked up a tablespoon of the next ingredient, his hands shaking as he scooped the ingredient up. Her hand shot out, knocking it back down. The measuring device clattered against the table. Stiles's attention snapped away from Lydia to the tablespoon and then to a bright red Grace.

"Sorry," she stuttered, "You, uh, you added too much."

She reached over, picking up the tablespoon. She dipped it in the white powder, measuring the proper amount. Stiles had gone back to staring at Lydia, who in turn was pointing at Erica who was moving her hand up Scott's thigh. Allison looked surprisingly calm for a girl watching someone else hit on her ex. Grace turned back to Erica and Scott just in time to see the blonde violently grip Scott's head and pull his face closer to hers. _Maybe she's not dating Isaac_, she thought, expecting Erica to plant one on the confused boy in the middle of class.

The bell rang, moving everyone's attention. The class shuffled to their next assigned seats. Kyle was already waiting at the next lab table when he arrived. The beaker was set up and his lab sheet was out. Eager as he was, he was not the best lab partner. Experience had taught her that.

"So first, we need 2 liters of the dextrose," she said, reaching for the correctly labeled beaker.

Leaning over to reach the ingredient, she caught a wisp of the conversation in front of of her. Isaac and Stiles were whispering furiously back and forth, ignoring the lab. She caught pieces of the conversation like "strawberry blonde" and "crush freshman year." It wasn't hard to figure out that they were talking about Lydia.

"The next ingredient is-" Kyle paused, struggling to pronounce the substance.

"I got it," she nodded, checking her own sheet.

She knew she shouldn't be listening to their conversation, but the reporter in her wanted the full story. It wasn't gossiping if she didn't tell anyone what she knew. Kyle kept distracting her any way with constant questions. Her thoughts were only pulled back towards the conversation when she heard her name. She peaked her head up in shock. Stiles turned red.

"You heard that?"

"You said my name?" She paused, "Right?"

"I-I was just telling Isaac here how you could help him channel his emotions into his writing."

Isaac's face was unreadable. Stone cold eyes glared at Stiles. She bit her lip, glancing off to the side.

"Oh."

"Not- Not in a bad way," Stiles tried to correct himself, "I just know you're really good at that kind of stuff."

"It's okay, Stiles," she smiled half-heartedly, "I understand."

_Ding, Ding_

"Alright everyone," Mr. Harris announced, "Move to your last partner."

She jumped from her seat, not looking back to say goodbye to Kyle. Isaac was already moving towards the lab seat next to Lydia. Stiles, too, seemed to rush away from the table towards Scott. Looking around, she noticed the chair next to Allison was open. Allison greeted her politely. The girl looked more frazzled than she had first period. Grace wondered if she wasn't over Scott and Erica had caused this.

"You ok?" she asked Allison as soon as she took her seat.

"What?" the brunette looked confused for a moment, "Oh, yeah, just..."

"I saw Erica," Grace shrugged, "Its ok."

Allison gave her a grateful half smile and thanked her. Not wanting to bother her new friend, she worked by herself for the remainder of the period, adding different chemicals, watching the mixture come together as stated on the handout Mr. Harris gave them. She took extra notes of each step in case they were asked about it later.

When the time was up, Mr. Harris explained that if done correctly, there should be a solid, crystal like form in the beaker. A small clear chunk sat at the bottom of their beaker. Allison who looked relieved that they had done it correctly. A row ahead, Stiles was starring down at a mixture that looked like burned mashed potatoes. Lydia was part of the only other group whose crystal looked like Mr. Harris's.

She offered the piece of candy to Allison who broke it in half. Isaac caught her attention as he lifted the candy out and offered it to Lydia. Clear liquid dripped off of their piece of candy. The piece she was holding was dry. Allison, who had eaten her piece, looked fine though. Just as Lydia went to grab the piece, the whole room froze.

"Lydia, wait!" Scott shouted, jumping up from his seat.

The class stared at Scott. They all waited while he took his seat, mumbling an apology. Then Lydia took the candy and bit down on it. Stiles, Scott, Allison, Isaac, and Erica watched intently as she chewed the candy as if Lydia would burst into flames but nothing happened. She made a mental note, but didn't approach the subject with the girl next to her.

The bell rang. The silence in the classroom was broken. Students began to flood out of the room. She waved goodbye to Allison who rushed to grab Lydia and meet Scott and Stiles. Erica took her time leaving the room, however, leaving the opportunity for Grace to grab her attention. The blonde was exiting the classroom when she called out to her.

"Erica, wait," she called, fumbling to pull her bag over her shoulder and catch up to the girl.

"Oh, hi Grace."

"Hey," Grace smiled, "Uh, surprise? I mean I texted you yesterday but I don't think you got it."

Erica glanced around, only half paying attention. Her distant behavior was slightly disconcerting.

"Look, I'm really sorry if you're upset but I didn't really have time to warn-"

"Ready to go?" she heard a voice behind her.

Grace turned around to see a much taller when he wasn't in one of those lab chairs Isaac Lahey. He was almost a head taller than her and definitely less friendly looking than he had been in chemistry. Erica was smiling at him almost, well, evilly.

"Look Grace," Erica turned to her, "Now isn't a great time."

Grace's eyes unconsciously shifted towards Isaac.

"It's alright, I have to get to class anyway," she said.

"We should catch up some time though," Erica offered half-heartedly, waving as she headed off.

Isaac lingered after Erica strutted down the hall, staring down Grace. He cleared his throat, making his presence non-ignorable. She forced a smile back onto her face, hoping he'd be a little bit more friendly than he looked moments ago. He didn't act any different it seemed. She turned around, shifting her backpack up on her shoulder.

"Hi, Isaac."

"Were you listening to my conversation with Stiles before?"

His question caught her off guard. For the third time that day, he was the reason a faint blush colored her cheeks.

"N-no."

Isaac seemed satisfied with her answer. He said goodbye in a eerie tone before disappearing down the hallway. Class was going to start any second, and she hadn't even started making her way to English. Determined not to be late, she started walking the other way, her thoughts swirling around his question.

The buzzing in her bag distracted her. The message from an unknown number was sent in a group chat. The other number as Allison's. It read: _Shopping tomorrow after school? Need cute outfits for my birthday party ;) _She smiled to herself - her first unofficial invite to a Lydia Martin party. Who needed leather clad ex best friends anyway?


	3. Chapter 3

**Happy Tuesday! Last night's episode was pretty intense, right? Anyway, thank you for all the favorites and follows and reviews. It motivates me as a writer. I'll keep meeting deadlines if you keep showing me that you like the story. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf. I only own my OCs.**

* * *

Chapter 3

On her second day back in school, group tension was in full swing. Allison showed up late to first period again with a pass from the principal who turned out to be her grandfather. Lydia avoided most of them, which led to her showering Grace in attention during chemistry which thankfully didn't involve another lab. Grace wasn't sure the class could survive it, especially with the glares Erica and Isaac were sending Scott and Allison.

Allison then bailed on shopping, which left her with some more one on one time with Lydia. The redhead didn't pry for information on where she had gone preferring to talk about party plans and some secret club happening in a week. Not that she didn't enjoy her bonding time with Lydia, but Grace was still missing Erica a bit. She hoped things would be a little less tense on Monday.

There was no such luck, however. Allison and Lydia were arguing in hushed voices about something when Grace approached them on Monday. Lydia looked flustered, her hand shaking as she applied her lip gloss. She heard the words "Jackson", "Scott and Stiles", "police van", and "restraining order." Allison paused mid sentence when Grace made eye contact with her. The girls smiled.

"Good morning," Allison said, her cheerful tone sounding strained.

"You look cute," Lydia said, glancing at her in the mirror, "But you could use some lip gloss. I think I might have your shade."

"Thanks Lydia, but I'm ok."

"No really," Lydia said, fishing through her an impressively large make up bag, "I have the color here somewhere."

"It's best not to argue," an amused Allison informed her.

"Here it is!"

The redhead's excited grin worried Grace. She tried in vain to convince Lydia it wasn't necessary but as Allison warned, Lydia would not be swayed. She waved the wand over Grace's lips, ordering her to rub them together after she applied a coat. Directing her to the mirror in her locker, Lydia gushed about how the color complimented her skin tone.

"Thanks," she smiled, pushing a few loose strands of hair behind her ear as she studied her reflection.

"Anytime, actually," Lydia paused, "Here. I have another one at home."

She paused, "Really?"

"Really."

Allison seemed happy that they were getting along so well, and Grace was trying her best not to seem to surprised. The Lydia standing before her was not the Lydia she remembered freshman year. Spending time with Lydia was actually fun. Then again, that could be the result of her spending more time with Lydia in the last four days then she had spent with the girl in her 16 years living in Beacon Hills.

Allison and Lydia really seemed to like her too. She was a little disappointed that Lydia had economics first period. _That's something I never thought I'd say, well think,_ she thought. Six months had changed her and Beacon Hills apparently. If Allison and Lydia had given her a place to land she wouldn't have known what to do without Erica.

* * *

Erica intercepted Grace as she exited her US History classroom. The blonde was wearing leather again and a too tight blue corset that reminded Grace a bit too much Emma Stone in _Easy A_. The friendly greeting she gave surfaced a new round of question in Grace's head centered around why she was being so nice now. The absence of Isaac may have had something to do with it.

"Wait up," Erica said, dashing after her, "We didn't get to catch up on Thursday."

She sounded more like the Erica Grace knew, but she was still being careful. At any point over the past four days, Erica could have sent her an apology text or at least reached out to her. She nodded, giving her a polite smile.

"Yeah, its ok though."

"I have lunch now," she said, "You should come with. We could catch up?"

"I can't," Grace's frowned, "I have Economics."

"I didn't see you yesterday," she pouted, "Don't you want to hang out?"

"Not when there's a chance of Coach Finstock hanging me."

Erica's nose wrinkled.

"But Boyd is going to be there and I want you to meet him."

"Vernon Boyd?" she scrunched her brows together.

"Yeah," Erica shrugged, "We're friends now too."

"Does he complete the Thunderbirds?"

Grace was relieved when Erica laughed, understanding the joke. The offer for lunch was repeated afterwards. She insisted that she couldn't, but promised to meet Boyd soon. The promise was a hesitant one as Erica and Isaac had changed so drastically it seemed. She hoped Boyd was nicer than Isaac. _Then again_, she thought, _I doubt that's difficult._

"How did you all meet anyway?" Grace asked.

"That's not important," she waved dismissively, "What are you doing on Friday?"

"I don't know, why?"

"There's this super cool concert," Erica grinned, "And we're going."

"I- I don't know."

"Come on you have to."

"Is it the one where there's only so many tickets sold at some secret spot?"

"Yeah, so?"

"What if we don't get tickets."

"We will."

"How do you know, I mean..."

As Erica was about to respond, Grace heard someone else shouting down the hall. Stiles Stilinski barreled at full speed down the hall chasing Lydia. Lydia waved to her before storming away, much to Stiles's dismay. Grace felt bad for the boy, watching his face fall as Lydia refused to answer his question. Erica had stopped and taken a particular interest in the conversation. She waited, however, until Lydia had disappeared to approach Stiles. Grace shuffled after her.

"Why are you asking Lydia about Jackson's birth parents?" Erica asked Stiles, backing him up against the wall.

"Why do you have your claws out on camera?" Stiles retorted, motioning behind their heads.

Grace looked behind her to see a video camera following student movement in the halls. Those were definitely new. Erica, noticing them too, backed off immediately, stepping away from Stiles. The pair glanced at her, waiting for a reaction of some kind but she didn't know to what.

"If you want to play Catwoman, fine, I'll be your Batman," Stiles shrugged, turning to leave.

Grace smothered a smile at his retort, noticing Erica's irritation. Her smile faded when she realized Erica might actually tell Stiles what happened to Jackson's real parents. They had agreed to never tell anyone when they found out five years earlier.

It was an average Saturday with the Reyes. Erica and Grace were outside when Jackson rode by with Danny on his brand new bike. Erica said it wasn't fair how much Jackson got when he had his own money. Erica then explained to Grace what she knew. Grace forced Erica to promise she would never tell anyone else, especially since Jackson never mentioned it to anyone. She didn't want to hurt him, no matter how rude he was to them.

"If you want to know where Jackson's real parents are, look about half a mile away," Erica glanced at Grace, "at Beacon Hills cemetery."

It was Stiles's turn to follow them as Erica dragged her along, stalking down the hall. Grace was stammering, trying to find the words to yell at Erica with. She couldn't believe the blonde had told him like that. Yanking her arm away, she shot Erica an incredulous look.

"I can't believe you just said that!"

"Said what?" Erica shrugged.

"You told Stiles!"

Stiles came up behind them, "Look, I don't want to get in between you, but I really need to know."

"It's him isn't it?" Erica asked Stiles.

"W-what?"

"The test didn't work but it's still Jackson," Erica smirked.

"Meet me after school?" Erica then asked Grace.

"I actually have to work on something for the paper."

"Boo," Erica pouted, "Well I definitely see you Friday."

Grace sighed, nodding, "Right."

"Wear something hot," she winked, walking away.

Stiles was still standing there, looking flustered. Disbelief clouded her thoughts as the girl strutted away. _It's like she doesn't care, _she sighed. Grace turned to him, gnawing on her lower lip. She wasn't sure how to approach him, but she had to make sure he wasn't going to tell anyone else.

"Look Stiles," his head snapped up, "I need you to promise you aren't going to tell anyone."

"Anyone what?"

"About Jackson's parents," the brunette sighed, pushing her hair behind her ear, "It's really personal and I don't think he wants anyone to know."

"Oh, right," Stiles nodded, "I guess. I mean, it would help if you could tell me a little more."

"I have to get to class," she took a deep breath, "But you can call me later."

"Thank you," he stammered, looking a little surprised she had actually said yes, "Thank you so much!"

He looked around the hall anxiously, "Do you know where Erica was going? I need to make sure she doesn't tell anyone."

"She has lunch," Grace offered with a small smile.

"You are seriously the best," Stiles grinned before dashing off down the hall.

The small brunette shook her head, walking off the opposite way. Things were definitely strange in Beacon Hills, Keira was right. Speaking of which, the senior hadn't talked to her since she ran out of the computer room at the end of fifth. Part of her wondered if she had offended the girl by dashing off. She wasn't being rude, or at least trying to be rude, she just had to get to class. _I guess I'll see fifth period_, she resolved.

* * *

Grace tapped on the wheel to the beat of the song as she drove. Erica, Stiles, Scott, and Allison had stayed after because of a locker room fight between Jackson and Scott. The fight had left Mr. Harris in a sour mood, so he assigned a worksheet for the period, leaving the students to their own devices. Allison had filled Lydia and her in then.

She explained that Jackson had cornered her and that Scott came to her defense. From there it escalated. Grace assumed that Stiles had caught up to Erica since they were there too. She couldn't figure out, however, why Matt was there. Allison told them that Matt had invited her to the concert before that. Assuming it was the same concert, Grace said she was going with Erica. Allison looked alarmed, but Lydia was unfazed. The promise of a shopping expedition was the only thing that excited her.

Which was why Grace didn't head straight for home. Instead, she turned up the isolated road leading towards one of her favorite places in Beacon Hills. She pulled up to the small white building, parking outside. There were no other cars in the parking lot, and the closed sign was posted on the door, a rare sight on a Monday.

Grace opened the door, smiling at the familiar tingle of bells. She could hear the patients barking, meowing, and chirping in the back rooms. She lingered in the door for a moment, waiting for the doctor to come out. The animal clinic looked the same as always- clean and friendly.

"I'm sorry, but we're closed," the familiar voice said, stepping into the front room.

She waved a little, watching his expression brighten.

"Hey Dr. Deaton."

"Grace," he stepped out from behind the counter, "You know you're always welcome. Don't linger in the doorway."

Grace stepped away from the door towards the counter. Dr. Deaton started letting her volunteer when she was 13. It wasn't until she turned 15 that he started letting her work there. She had been working there for almost a year when she left. She knew it was a long shot, most employers didn't take kindly to employees disappearing overnight, but she hoped the doctor would be forgiving of her situation.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I, um," she blushed, "I was hoping I could come back to work, now that I'm back and everything."

"Oh yes," the vet nodded, "Well, Scott McCall took your job-"

She frowned at the floor, chewing her lip. There wasn't a high chance she would get her job back when she came here. He needed a hand whether it was her's or someone else's

"-But seeing how busy he is, I could use an extra hand around here."

Grace looked up hopefully, "Really?"

"Absolutely," he said, "Do the after school and Saturday morning shifts still work for you?"

"Every day but-"

"Tuesday," he chuckled, "That's when you officially meet for the school paper. And we close early on Fridays."

Grace's smile faltered for a moment when she remembered Scott. In her excitement, she realized she had accepted the more convenient shifts. Scott had been working there for 6 months, and she didn't want to displace him.

"Are you sure all of those days are ok? I don't want to take Scott's shifts."

"It's perfectly fine," he assured her, "Scott works the late night shift."

"Then it works out perfectly," she announced happily.

"Yes," Dr. Deaton looked around, "As you can see, I'm all finished up here."

"Is everything ok?" Grace asked, hoping she didn't sound too nosy, "You never close early on Mondays."

"Yes," he smiled, "It's my wife's birthday, so I'm taking her out to dinner."

"That's nice," she smiled back.

"Yes," he glanced at the clock, "Now I don't want to be rude, but I really need to get going. I'll see you tomorrow after school?"

Grace nodded. Not wanting to overstay her welcome, she headed towards the door. On her way out, however, she mulled over what he had said. Dr. Deaton never mentioned a wife before. She didn't even know he was married. She wasn't going to question it though, she was grateful she had gotten her job back so easily. _Besides_, she reasoned, driving towards her house, _Dr. Deaton wouldn't lie to me._


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! Hope things are going well. I'm trying to decide if I want to split seasons 2 and 3, but that would mean a sequel. Let me know your thoughts on this! This chapter could get a little confusing. I strayed away from only Grace's point of view to give you some insight into how the other characters are feeling/reacting. Hopefully I did it well enough for you to follow, but let me know if I didn't. Your reviews make my story better! Thank you for all your support in following my story.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs.**

* * *

Chapter 4

Erica met Grace at her locker the next morning flanked by a possibly more massive looking Boyd. Dark circles rimmed her eyes. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the light most likely. Grace smiled politely at the pair, still a little upset over Erica's actions the day before. She didn't want to be rude though.

"Hey," she greeted the pair.

"I wanted to ask if you still wanted to go to the concert," Erica said brashly.

She paused, her voice softening, "And I wanted to apologize for yesterday."

"Of course I still want to go," Grace smiled softly, "We're still friends aren't we?"

"Are we?" the blonde asked.

"I don't see why not," the brunette shrugged, "But I will have to get used to all this leather."

Erica laughed. Behind her, Boyd cracked a smile. Otherwise, he stayed silent, hovering over Erica protectively. She wondered for a moment if the boy had a crush on her friend. That, or he was just a really good friend. The more they talked, the more Grace observed how drained Erica seemed.

"Are you feeling ok?"

"Oh, yeah, I," Erica paused, "I had a seizure in detention on Monday."

Grace held back a gasp, her eyes growing wide. Growing up, she quickly got used to her friend's disorder. She had experienced more than one of Eric'a episodes. She knew how bad they could get, remembered how Erica would sometimes show up at school with various bruises.

The worst was the time Erica fell out of the treehouse in Grace's backyard. They were nine years old, spying on her brother and his friend. Erica fell backwards out of the treehouse, and got a concussion. Grace was terrified at the time that she would never speak to her again, but instead it made them closer. Ever since, she was dedicated to helping her friend in even the smallest ways like reminding her to take her medication.

"Is that why you weren't in school yesterday?" Her tone was laced with worry.

"Yeah."

"You didn't get hurt, did you?" she asked anxiously.

"No," Erica sighed, "Stiles and Scott took care of me."

The brunette relaxed a little, "That's good I guess."

"It wasn't as bad as usual either," Erica lied, "They've gotten better. This is the first one I've had in months."

"That's a good sigh, I guess," Grace hesitated, "If you're not feeling up to Friday, just let me know."

"I'm not going to let you bail on me that easily," she teased, obviously wanting to move on from the conversation.

"You know what I mean."

"I'm picking the tickets up later-" the bell rang "-I'll text you tonight."

"Alright," she smiled, "I'll see you in chem right?"

"Right," she wiggled her fingers, "Bye Grace."

"It was nice to see you again," Boyd smiled at her.

"You too," she smiled back, waving as they retreated down the hallway. She shut her locker, heading towards math.

* * *

Allison watched Grace interact with the two werewolves from her locker. She tilted her head, trying to hear what they were saying. Behind her, Lydia noticed her friend's lack of concentration. The redhead smirked a little to herself, quieting her steps to sneak up on her friend.

"Whatcha doing?" the peppy voice rang out.

She spun around with a shocked expression, "N-nothing. Just-"

Lydia followed her gaze to where the small brunette was chatting with Erica and Boyd. She studied them for a moment before turning back to Allison with a shrug. Why Allison, Scott, and Stiles care so much about the band of misfits was beyond her.

"Oh," she pursed her lips, "Whatever."

"You don't care?" the brunette questioned.

"Why would I?" she responded, looking off to the side.

"Because you don't like to share," Allison told her pointedly.

Lydia's head snapped up.

"I know that, I just don't see it as a problem."

Allison nodded, and Lydia hoped she would drop the subject. It was too early to delve into her emotions. It set a negative precedent for the day. She waited for Allison to close her locker so they could walk to class together. A few seconds passed before Allison picked up the conversation again.

"You two seem to be getting along well," she noted.

"She's nice," she shrugged again.

"That's it?" Allison pushed, "Stiles is nice and you aren't really friends."

Lydia let out a puff of air, rolling her eyes. She stopped, pulling Allison off to the side. She didn't want to interrupt the flow of traffic.

"Fine," she admitted, "She's really cool and fun to shop with. Plus she's not busy all the time like you and Scott and Jackson and even Stiles."

Her friend paused, a guilty look spreading across her features. She bit her lip, looking off to the side and suddenly Lydia felt bad for saying anything at all. Not wanting to be late for class, Lydia started walking again. Allison was quick to follow behind her.

"You're still my best friend," she assured her, "I just, I don't know, like that she's around."

"I'm around," Allison protested.

"I know," Lydia smiled, "She's like my personal Allison fill in."

Allison seemed more satisfied with that, "Maybe we can all hang out soon?"

"I'm going over her house Friday to help her get ready for the concert."

"Sorry," she looked guilty again, "My parents want to meet Matt so he's picking me up at my house."

"That's fine," she smiled, "We should get to class."

Allison nodded in agreement and the girls parted ways at the end of the hallway.

Lydia didn't want to say she was disappointed, but she was. Allison was always busy, too busy, and with all her extended relatives in the house, Lydia felt like an intruder. Grace's house was mostly quiet. And she was always welcome over there according to her new friend. The little things like that made Grace likable. Her willingness to forgive and forget the past was also a big part of their growing friendship.

So what if she didn't like Grace's friendship with Erica? It was Grace's choice if she wanted to hang out with someone as trashy and fake as that. She wasn't jealous or anything.

* * *

"We need to talk."

The flirty blonde twirled around, tilting her head sideways. She raised one perfectly manicured eyebrow at the curly haired boy. Her lower lip, painted bright red, jutted out. He was holding the three tickets she had purchased for the concert, frowning disapprovingly at her.

"What's wrong?"

"Why did you buy three tickets?" he waved them around.

"I'm bringing a friend," she shrugged.

Isaac narrowed his eyes at her casual answer. She knew he would be mad, more mad than Derek questionably, when he found the third ticket, but his aversion to Grace was unnecessary. She hoped he would come back with Derek, but when Isaac showed up alone she knew she was in trouble.

"You need to un-invite Grace tomorrow," he demanded.

"Why?"

"Because it isn't safe. We're going to hunt lizard creatures, not to party."

She smirked, "I didn't know you cared so much."

Erica circled around, leaning against one of the support beams outside the train, studying a wordless Isaac. He was glaring at her, attempting to hide the faint blush that spread across his cheeks. She raised her eyebrows, giving him a suggestive smile to which he blushed more. No matter how he dressed or acted, Isaac couldn't hide the awkward nerd inside of him.

"I don't," he growled, "I think the less people that know about _us_ the better."

"Well I wouldn't have invited her if you didn't make her think I hated her," Erica shrugged, "So really this is all your fault."

"I was trying to protect her- us," he shook his head, crossing his arms and uncrossing them.

"You deleted her texts off my phone," she accused.

"I'm doing what's best for the pack," Isaac snapped.

"You're doing what's best for _you_," the blonde snapped back.

There was a pregnant silence as they glared at each other. The anger was rolling off them in waves. Erica was the first to break their stare down. She pushed off the beam, walking towards the opening in the train car. He called her name. She stopped, hanging onto the edge of the door as she spun around.

"Look, I just don't think it is a good idea."

"Don't think what's a good idea?"

The pair turned to see their alpha walking into the room, the same sour look on his face as always. He crossed his arms, glaring at them. Erica looked at Isaac who looked back at her. She hopped out of the train, walking over to stand next to him. They tensed for the lecture - if it was a good day - or yelling.

"Well?"

"I bought three tickets," Erica admitted, pursing her lips.

"I told you Boyd's not going," Derek frowned, "He's staying with me outside."

"It's not for Boyd," she corrected.

"Scott and Stiles were buying their own tickets," Derek continued, narrowing his eyes, "So who's it for?"

"The ticket is for Grace," Isaac said, cutting Erica off. He didn't want to listen to her avoid the question for another 20 minutes.

"Who is Grace?" Derek demanded, a low growl in his throat.

"She's a friend," Erica said as Derek glanced at Isaac, "A friend of mine."

"Trust me," the boy frowned, "I don't want her there either."

"Isaac's right," the alpha sighed, "She shouldn't be going."

"What if I promise she won't get in the way?" she pleaded.

"You're willing to take on that responsibility?" he raised an eyebrow.

Isaac scoffed beside her, rolling his eyes at her desperation. It only fueled Erica's determination to bring Grace. She deserved to have someone outside the pack, someone who reminded her what it was like to be normal. At least until she could convince Derek to give Grace the bite. She was sure her old best friend would be a great werewolf, and the bite would permanently end her friendship with Allison and Lydia. Sharing wasn't Erica's strong suit and she still hadn't forgiven Lydia.

"Yes."

"Fine," Derek amended, "You two will have to keep an eye on her and help Scott."

"What?" Isaac whined, "Why do I have to deal with her?"

"Because that's what pack mates do," Derek snapped, "Now come on, we have to discuss the plan."

Derek stalked off into the train car. Neither beta corrected him, but both knew they wouldn't be starting until Boyd showed up. Derek called to them, demanding that they follow. The blonde looked satisfied with the way things had turned out. Not only was Grace coming, but Isaac had to be decently behaved. Erica smirked at Isaac before prancing towards the car. The curly haired wolf let out a sigh before trudging across the room behind her.

* * *

"What you know" her dad shouted, "Makes you responsible. Makes you responsible for this."

He tore the sheet of one of the bodies. Allison looked away, not wanting to see the dead body of the woman. The smell of formaldehyde was making her nauseous. She choked on her words, not sure how to phrase it. Her father knew she lied to her grandfather. That meant her grandfather knew too. She let out a shaky breath, peaking her head up.

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"Anything you know," he said, stepping closer, "Anything that can lead us closer to answering the one question that might mean everything."

He paused.

"Who controls the Kanima?"

"I don't know," she shouted back, her eyes watering, "But I know who the Kanima is?"

"Not here," Chris Argent glanced around the room, "Tell me at home."

She nodded, moving towards the door as he covered up the body. He thanked the paramedic again before they left. Her eyes didn't leave the floor as she tried to calm herself down. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage. The car ride was silent. She didn't look at her father until he was seated across from her in the living room, hands clasped in his lap, staring at her.

"Jackson's the Kanima," she whispered.

"Is that why you were afraid to tell me? Because you were afraid I was going to kill him?"

She nodded, letting out another shaky breath.

"Please don't kill him," she begged.

Her father studied her for a moment before nodding, "We'll try our best."

"But it would be easier," he continued, "If you could tell us where he is going to be next."

"There's a show," Allison admitted, "This weekend. I'm going with a date."

"Scott?"

She could hear her mother pause in the kitchen.

"No, his name is Matt."

"That's nice sweetheart," he managed.

"But my friend is going to be there too, and I don't want either of them to get hurt," she said, hoping it would keep him away from the actual party and Scott.

"I understand," he nodded, "I'll make sure we stay far enough away so there's no collateral. I'll inform everyone tomorrow."

"Thank you, daddy," she stood up, wanting to go bury herself under her sheets and forget about everything.

"No, thank you, Allison," he sighed, "You did the right thing."

"I know, dad," she said, standing on the steps.

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

She heard her dad call up to her, but she didn't have the heart to respond. Hopefully he would keep his promise and not kill Jackson. That was Scott's only goal, and therefore her only goal. Crawling into bed, her last thought was of Scott. She had to tell him that her dad knew. And she still needed to tell him about Matt.

* * *

"Soon."

"Soon, I promise."

A soothing voice whispered the words in her ear repeatedly. She didn't know who was speaking. There was no one in her room but her. Moonlight shone through her window onto her bed, casting a shadow in the corner of her room. The shadow began to spread, creeping closer to her. Then she was falling. She landed in her the woods behind her house. The light was still on. Her father was drinking in front of the television. She could have turned around, but someone called her name.

Tyler was ahead of her, waving for her, shouting for her to run. She struggled to get to her feet. Something was holding her down. Tyler took off running, never looking back. She called his name repeatedly, yelling for help. When he turned around, an unfamiliar man had replaced Tyler. The moon broke through the clouds, a stream of light hitting the man. His face scrunched and grew hair, becoming more animal like. His nails and teeth lengthened. He let out a ferocious howl, turning to her, his eyes blood red. She screamed.

Grace let out a short gasp, her eyes opening. Moonlight streamed through her window onto her bed. Sighing, she rolled over to look at the clock. It read 2:15. A frown formed as she realized she probably wouldn't be sleeping for the rest of the night.

She flicked on her bedside lamp. Reaching under her bed, she grabbed her moleskin. On the top left corner of the blank page, she wrote the date. Then she began to record everything.


	5. Chapter 5

**Monday's episode was, as usual, crazy. Thoughts on Jennifer and Derek? Comment and let me know. I'm undecided. Hope you like the new chapter. Thank you for all your love in support to both my old and new followers.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OCs.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Her hair was curled earlier, but had already begun to unwind creating waves down her back. She was wearing dark jeans and a loose black and white stripped tank top. The outfit was simple and comfortable. It made it easy for her to blend in too. She wore the same amount of makeup she wore everyday. She reached to grab her pair of black motorcycle boots when Lydia cleared her throat.

"What's wrong?"

"You have to wear these?" the redhead said, dangling a pair of tall black heels.

"No way."

"But you'll look so cute," Lydia protested.

"Where did you even find those?"

"They were in the back of your closet."

"I'm going to fall on my face," she argued.

"Or into the arms of a total hottie," the redhead winked.

"I am not putting those on."

"Please," she begged, blinking her eyes like a puppy.

"No," Grace shook her head, "There is absolutely no way I am putting those on."

* * *

Grace stumbled out of the car half an hour later, cursing Lydia and her painful fashion sense. She had managed to wrestle Grace into the black heels with a satisfied smirk. The redhead had taken the liberty of redoing Grace's makeup as well, adding eyeshadow to "accentuate her eyes and make them appear wider" and the rosy lip gloss she insisted looked great with Grace's skin tone. While a pain to put on, the makeup did make her look less like she was going to school and more like she was going to a party.

Her company was already ahead of her, stalking towards the building. Isaac's presence had been a surprise and not a pleasant one either. Erica looked guilty, forcing Grace to be nice. Getting along with Isaac for a few hours couldn't be too hard. Besides, they didn't have to hang out with him the whole time. She was beginning to wonder if Erica went anywhere without a boy though.

Erica looked flawless too. She managed to pull off the tight black miniskirt and sheer white tank top in a way that made Grace look like a nun. She was almost glad Lydia had forced her into the heels. The only issue was that she couldn't walk in them quickly. Isaac and Erica walked faster than her, leaving her to lag behind a little as she struggled to keep up in her heels. Isaac seemed intent on making sure she couldn't keep up by taking longer strides.

The party was in an abandoned warehouse. The minute she entered she wanted to leave. The faint stench of alcohol mixed with the musty smell of sweat and dust. Three girls stood on the stairs, laughing over something. All of them resembled models. They stopped their conversation to stare at her company. She received a disdainful glare.

"Uh, Erica," she stuttered, "Maybe I should just wait outside."

"Not happening," Erica smirked, "You promised you'd come. Now enjoy."

Isaac shook his head. He looked at Erica, she looked at him. Then he pulled back the barrier and the music took over. She had thought it was loud before, but soon realized how wrong she had been. This was loud. The walls shook to the beat. There were too many people, all jumping around and laughing.

The DJ was not on the other end of the room, but on the wall to her left. There was another barrier next to wear he was spinning, a private room for him and his friends. Beside her, Erica's eyes glowed with mischief as she searched the crowd for her first victim. Isaac looked around for a moment before his eyes landed on Scott.

"Let's go," Erica said, dragging her out into the crowd.

Isaac disappeared in the other direction. She wasn't sure if she saw Allison with Scott or not. The girl was there somewhere. She hoped to run into her before they left. The blonde snapped her attention by twirling her towards her. Erica began to dance, pressing herself to a strange boy behind her. Grace was less comfortable with the idea. Erica grabbed her by the hands and lifted them in the air.

"Try to enjoy yourself!" she shouted over the music.

Grace tilted her head back, swaying to the beat. Following Erica's guide, she swayed her hips back and forth, even ran her hand through her hair once. Laughter filled the air as the girls let go. Erica was attracting some attention from cuter guys in the crowd, making Grace glad that Lydia had helped her pick out and outfit and do her makeup. She felt pretty.

A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind. She spun around with a hard look. The boy standing behind her looked surprised by her sudden actions. He raised an eyebrow as if to ask what was wrong. She turned around again to see Erica wrapped up in her own hottie.

"Dance with me," he told her, his voice as slick as his hair.

"I-I'm okay," she stuttered, the crowd beginning to suffocate her.

"Sorry," she heard a third voice, "But I'm going to have to borrow her."

Isaac put his hand on the shoulder of the guy, giving him a sharp look. The guy immediately backed off, muttering something about her not being worth it. She frowned, looking down at her heels. The guy hadn't scared her so much as he had reminded her why staying at home and reading was a better way to spend her time.

"Are you okay?" Isaac asked her as he scanned the crowd for Erica.

"I'm fine."

The blue eyed boy seemed genuinely concerned for her. He grabbed her wrist, leading her out of the crowd. Leaving the crowd felt like coming up for a breath of air in the pool. She relaxed under his grip, a grateful smile forming. Unsatisfied with their surroundings still, he found a place for her to sit. She could still watch the crowd, but she was far enough away that she didn't need to worry about drowning in it.

"Better?"

"A little," she bit her lip.

She didn't have time to ask why he was being so nice. He was already leaving her. The only reason he'd found her a place to stay was so that he didn't have to deal with her. He beelined towards Erica, grabbing the girl and dragging her deeper into the crowd until Grace could no longer see them.

She sighed, leaning back in the chair. _My hero_, she thought sarcastically. Her feet were beginning to hurt from all the dancing. While she was with Erica, the distraction had kept her from noticing what was now screaming at her. She could feel the blisters forming. She curled her feet up, watching the crowd for a sign of Erica or Isaac.

The distraction only left her people watching. The three girls from earlier were dancing with shirtless guy. A girl in a sparkly blue tank top was falling over her friends. Two boys and a girl were spreading neon paint on each other. Another two girls were waving glow sticks in the air. The seat sank next to her, telling her she had company.

"Good way to start off spring break, huh?"

She smiled brightly at the familiar face.

"Guess so."

"What are you doing here, Lois Lane?"

The nickname brought up fond memories for the smaller girl. Matt had taken to calling her that freshman year after she asked him to take some pictures at the lacrosse game for an article in the paper. He hadn't previously known that she was an aspiring journalist but after several English classes together he learned the extent of her love of writing. His love of comic books spawned the nickname after the _Superman_ character.

"I came with Erica but," she scanned the crowd again, "I have no clue where she went."

"Sorry to hear that," he watched the crowd too, "Guess it's a good thing I showed up?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Didn't you come with Allison?"

He frowned at her question.

"She had to go to the bathroom."

"Oh."

In the silence that followed, her eyes landed on Isaac. His curly head stuck out in the crowd. He was leaving. Jackson was leaning on him while Erica trailed behind. Her brows scrunched in confusion, watching them exit. There was no way they were actually leaving.

"What'd you see?"

"Erica leaving with Isaac and Jackson."

"Jackson Whittemore?"

"Yeah, he looked like he was leaning on Isaac," she informed him.

"You saw that from here?" he asked incredulously.

"It's not that far," she blushed.

"It's impressive," Matt complimented, his interest obvious, "Did you see anything else?"

"Not really," she shrugged, "They looked like they didn't want anyone to see."

Matt glanced around again, frowning. He stood up suddenly, apologizing profusely. She didn't understand why at firs, but it soon clicked. Like everyone else, he was abandoning her.

"I'm just going to go check on Jackson," he promised before disappearing too.

Grace waited and waited. She turned down two offers- one to dance and one for a drink. People began to tire, but no one returned. Finally, she stood up, pushing through the crowd. _Might as well go look for them myself_, she reasoned. How many people could it take to handle a drunk Jackson anyway.

She pushed through the crowd, looking to see if they had returned. Not only were Isaac and Erica nowhere to be seen, but Scott, Allison, Jackson, and Matt had disappeared too. She was left stranded in the crowd without a familiar face, wondering where they had gone. Frustrated, she moved towards the other edge of the crowd. As the crowd thinned, she caught a glimpse of a girl talking to the DJ. She heard the words "shut down" possibly, signaling that the party was almost over.

The girl then leaned in close and whispered something to the DJ before exiting the room. The barrier between, like the one she had come in through, was made of strips of flexible plastic. She could see the girl through the cracks as they swayed. There was someone else in there too. Squinting, she could make out the form of another person. Not wanting to invade her privacy, she decided to find someone else to talk to. But then she saw it. The flick of a tail.

There was a sudden piercing scream that rang in her ears. Blood spattered against the barrier, the girl's blood. She blinked, hoping it was a figment of her imagination. The creature was gone, the DJ staring at her in shock and confusion as she stared at the dripping blood.

* * *

She watched the police officers and other first responders from behind the tapeline. The new sheriff Warren talked to her for all of five minutes before realizing she wouldn't be any help. She offered to come in later for questioning. He didn't respond before leaving. In the background, cameras flashed. She stood off to the side. Lights flashed around her- blue, red, blue, red. No tears filled her eyes. She wasn't sure if she could cry. Her father was no where to be found.

Her breath came out in short puffs. She shook, but not from the cold. Her eyes stayed glued to the scene but she wasn't really looking. The image of the tail flick kept replaying in her head. Kara's throat had been slashed open by whatever it was.

"Are you ok?" a voice asked next to her.

Isaac stood there, watching where she was watching. His hands were shoved in his pockets. She bit her lip, drawing her eyes away from the scene to stare at him instead. The lights flashed on his face casting a shadow over his features, giving him a serious aura.

"What are you doing here?"

"Waiting to take you home."

She glanced around for her friend, "Where's Erica then?"

"She left early," he told her shortly.

"You didn't go with her?"

"She ran into a friend and left with him. I only stayed because she asked me to take you home."

She didn't bother to ask who the friend was. It didn't matter at the moment anyway. It surprised her a little that Isaac didn't leave when Erica left, not wanting to stay with her. He had abandoned her after all. He had, Matt had. She wondered if Allison had gotten home ok or if she was standing somewhere in the crowd petrified.

"C-can we go?" She meant to sound more biting but the quiver in her voice made her sound frail.

Isaac wrapped an arm around her, leading her out of the crowd. She pressed against him, avoiding making eye contact with the numerous other party goers who curiously peaked their heads over the crowd to catch a glimpse of the scene. When they reached the car she realized that somewhere between the tape line and the car she began to cry. Fat, silent tears rolled down her cheeks. She brushed them away, climbing into the car with the comforting thought that she didn't have to see anyone for nine days, or at least until Lydia's party.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you so much for all the follows and reviews and favorites! All of your support is much appreciated. Keep it up! Let me know what you think.**

**This chapter is a little on the shorter side. I promise I'll have a longer one up later in the week.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf or any character besides my OCs.**

* * *

Chapter 6

Grace was lying in her backyard again. Tyler waved his arms frantically, urging her to get up, to run. The full moon shone over her backyard, casting a long shadow as he ran. She screamed out to him, begging for him to help her. Something was holding her down again. She continued to call out to Tyler.

Tyler stopped and turned around. But this time the man was not there either. A lizard like creature stood in front of her, it's long tail swishing back and forth. It opened it's mouth to hiss, teeth gleaming in the moonlight. She screamed, but her nightmare didn't end. The creature ran towards her as she scrambled backwards. With one swipe of it's claw, she was yanked out of sleep.

Grace took a shaky breath, clinging to her bedsheets. The moon was hidden behind a cloud, letting no light enter her room. It was pitch black for a few moments until the cloud drifted, letting in a sliver of light. Her father was silent downstairs. She wondered how late he had gotten home. Staring up at her ceiling, she tried to catch her breath. Her cheeks were wet with tears she didn't know she had cried.

"Well that was terrifying," a voice said, coming from the corner of her room.

A man stood in the shadows, the same man from the other night. He had the same voice as the other man, silky and eerie. His face was masked by the shadow so she couldn't see him. She called out for her dad. The man just laughed. He made no attempt to move. She couldn't even see the whites of his eyes. It was as if he was a part of the wall.

"You know," he said, "I would be pretty mad if I were you."

She continued to scream her dad's name, but the house was silent. The man wasn't moving, but he could. They had a security system installed. Why hadn't it been tripped when this man entered the house? Her dad would never shut it off in the middle of the night with all the murders going on.

"I mean I would want to know what that creature was," the man continued.

Grace couldn't understand why her dad wasn't coming. Being a hero was in his job description. He Her hands were shaking as she clung to her sheets. She wasn't paranoid enough to keep a weapon under her bed or on her nightstand, but she was beginning to wish she was. He was going to kill her. She could sense it.

"Get out of my room," she threatened with a shaky voice.

"I can't do that."

"W-why not?"

"Because I'm not real," he stepped out of the shadows.

"Now, I really think you should ask someone about that creature," he continued, "I can't have you getting hurt."

"Who are you?" she squinted.

"You don't need to worry about that," he said. Then he opened his eyes- glowing red.

Grace's eyes shot open. Her notebook sat on her bedside table. She flicked on her light and grabbed it. The next page had a small tea stair on it, so she flipped one more page. Then she began to write, not only of her dream but of the night's earlier events. Reliving each moment in careful detail, she recounted the red eyed man and the yellow eyed creature from her dream.

* * *

Isaac was seething, waiting outside for Derek to be done talking to Scott. He was mad at Erica for inviting Grace in the first place, but also at himself for abandoning her and for caring at all. The pack came first, it always had for him. Derek was his only family now. Yet here he was, pacing back and forth, worrying about the comfort and safety of a girl he barely knew.

"Did you get Grace home before anything happened?" Erica asked, coming up behind him.

"No," he growled.

"Is she ok? She hasn't been answering any of my texts," her eyes widened.

"She's fine."

"Did she see anything?"

"I don't know. She didn't say anything," he stopped his pacing, "I told you she shouldn't have come."

"She had fun," Erica protested, "Well, mostly."

"No," Isaac glared, "You had fun."

Erica's eyes narrowed.

"Since when did you care?"

"I-"

The sound of Boyd's feet crunching the leaves stopped Isaac short. Neither one of the betas wanted to continue the conversation with him present, even if he had already heard part of it. Something about it seemed personal, too personal to open it for pack discussion. Erica stared at Isaac suspiciously until Boyd reached them as if she was waiting for him to profess his undying love for her friend. The resentment radiated off her. He should have let her go back for Grace. He didn't understand why he didn't. Isaac stared at the sky.

* * *

"How are you feeling this morning?"

As soon as she entered the kitchen, that's what her dad asked her. There was no question in her mind that he knew about her nightmare. She shrugged, reaching for a banana. Dr. Deaton was expecting her in 15 minutes and it took at least 10 minutes to get to his office from her house.

"Are you okay?" he asked next, "I heard about that girl. Her name was Kara."

"Do the police know what happened to her?"

"No."

She sighed, "Oh."

"Did you see anything?"

"No," she avoided.

"Are you sure you're alright? Not shaken up or anything."

"I'm fine," she promised.

Grace glanced at the clock. She really had to leave, but there was a nagging thought in the back of her brain. The nightmare last night had left her with a couple questions. It was possible that she hadn't imagined the creature out of fear. Then again, it was only a dream.

"That's good," he answered, "Do you have work?"

"Is there something you're not telling me?" she asked suddenly.

"About what, pumpkin?"

"I don't know," she said, irritated by his innocent tone, "Beacon Hills? Mom? Anything really?"

The anything they both knew meant Tyler. Her father looked torn. She crossed her arms, ignoring the time that passed. She would just drive a little faster to get to work on time. It bothered her to see how much her dad squirmed when questioned like he was actually hiding something from her. She was used to it with her mother, but not with her dad.

"Maybe we could talk when you get home," he suggested, "Or I can call-"

"I really don't think that's necessary," she sighed, "I just asked a question."

"You know I worry."

"Dad," she frowned, "Please."

"Grace," he warned, "Go to work, you don't want to be late."

"Fine," she huffed, her head reeling.

She was on her way out the door when he called to her.

"Have a good day, I'll be home late."

"Ok, Dad," she shouted back, still irritated.

"I love you, Grace," he called to her as she walked out the door.

"I love you too, Dad," she said just before shutting the door.

She took out her phone to text Lydia, _Do you still need help getting decorations for your party later?_

* * *

Dr. Deaton was flipping over the sign to "open" when Grace arrived two minutes late. She gave him a rushed, apologetic smile as she moved past him towards the back room. She wanted to check that Scott had fed and given water to all of the animals currently in the vet's care.

One dog in particular caught her attention as she went through her rounds. The curly haired pup reminded her of a confusing curly haired boy she hadn't thought about since he dropped her off. Her nightmare had consumed most of her early morning thoughts. Yet, Isaac found a way to creep back in like he had the night before.

She mulled over his actions while she scratched the pup behind its ear. He had been distant with her for the most part. The staring in Chemistry on the first day was luckily a one day thing, but every day since, he ignored her existence. When they picked her up, he seemed irritated that she was coming. While he did whisk her away from that stranger, he abandoned her afterwards to dance with Erica and Jackson Whittemore.

Since she came back to town, he's acted strange, stranger than she remembered. Yet, he came back for her when she needed someone to be there and her dad couldn't be. He didn't just take her home, he shielded her when they walked through the crowd. It almost seemed like he actually cared, but his behavior otherwise suggested anything but. Maybe he was doing it for Erica.

"Grace," Dr. Deaton said behind her, "I could use some help with some patients that are checking out today. Files and all that."

His ever-friendly smile was still present, though she noticed something different about the vet too. When she asked about his dinner with his wife during one of her shifts earlier in the week, he acted confused for a moment, as if he didn't remember having a wife. Grace reserved judgment with him, however, because of how good he was to her, letting her have her job back and all.

"Sure thing, Dr. D," she smiled, reluctantly pulling her hand away from the snuggly pup.

While filing papers wasn't her favorite part of the job, she was willing to do anything around the office from changing food and water to applying medicine, holding down a reluctant patient, or acting as a receptionist on the occasional busy day. Anything to be around the animals. The biggest downside of filing papers was that it gave her time to think, and she didn't need more of that.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again my wonderful readers. I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is I'm going to be away for a week so I won't be able to update. The good news is that when I return, I'll be releasing a character profile of sorts that I've been working on. As I introduce my OCs, I will post an actor that would play the person on my profile to help you envision everyone. I need your help, however. I haven't been able to find a Keira yet. So, suggestions would be appreciated. Keira is a senior with blonde hair and light eyes. She's tall and beautiful. If you think you know an actor, super famous or not, that would fit the profile, just comment and let me know. Thanks again for all the support and love!**

**Disclaimer: I own nada.**

* * *

Chapter 7

Isaac, Erica, and Boyd stood around, watching Derek pull out crates with large locks. None of them asked questions, being good obedient betas. That, and Isaac and Erica were not talking after last Friday. Isaac couldn't explain his sudden interest in Grace's life and Erica didn't want him taking an interest in her. It left Boyd in an uncomfortable position for the past few days.

Everyone expected it to blow over, but as Erica began to realize Grace was avoiding her, she became less willing to forgive. The blame was left solely on Isaac for returning to help Grace behind Erica's back. Grace was Erica's friend, not Isaacs. No matter how many times Isaac said that he was just following the alpha's orders, Boyd and Erica didn't believe him.

Isaac was stationed nearest to Derek, helping him. Boyd stayed back with Erica, having chosen an obvious side. Derek pulled open one of the boxes, revealing a swirled black print on the cover that Isaac didn't recognize. Leaning down slightly, he tried to get a closer look. He stared at it for a moment, his mouth curved in thought.

"What's that?" he asked.

"It's a triskelion," Boyd answered before Derek could, "The three spirals mean past, present, and future or mother, father and child."

Erica turned her head, her mouth parting slightly, her eyes gleaming with something unreadable, something un-Erica. Isaac watched with curiosity. An impressed Derek looked up, masking his pride in the beta with another question.

"Do you know what it means to me?"

"Alpha, beta, omega," Boyd guessed.

This time, the alpha didn't hide how impressed he was. He looked up from the box, nodding at the larger boy.

"That's right."

Isaac was impressed too. Boyd had clearly done his mythical research after being turned, a step that Erica and Isaac skipped. While they were running errands for Derek, Boyd always seemed to be doing something else. That something else, when not with his siblings, turned out to be studying symbols and lore.

"The spirals," Derek continued standing up, "Remind us that we can rise to one or fall to another. Betas can become alphas, but alphas can also fall to betas or even omegas.

The curly haired beta had been studying the cap of the box, but now looked up.

"Like Scott," he commented.

"Scott's with us," Derek commented blandly, looking back down.

Under normal circumstances, Isaac may have let this go. But he was determined to prove that the pack was still his number one priority to Erica and maybe himself. Derek had trusted Scott at the club only to have their plan fail. Scott had endangered their pack, especially their alpha, and he showed no regard for pack meetings. He hadn't shown up that morning.

"Really?" he asked, "Where is he now?"

Derek was quick to jump to the missing boy's defense. He made something up about searching for Jackson, but Isaac was pretty sure that was code for making out with Allison. The three betas watched him pull out some kind of restraining device trimmed with chains.

"There's a price you pay for this kind of power," he explained, handing it to Isaac, "You get the ability to heal, but tonight you're going to try to kill anything you can find."

"Good thing I had my period last week then," Erica smirked, leaning back against the train.

Isaac bit back a comment, mostly for the sake of Derek and Boyd. Though the tension was obvious, no one had commented on it yet. Grace hadn't taken his advice. Boyd looked in shock at the blonde. Isaac looked at the ground. A satisfied smirk found his lips as Derek pulled out a headband with giant metal spikes in it. The alpha smirked back at Erica.

"Well this one's for you," he told her.

* * *

Lydia marched up the stairs to Allison's room with purpose, her Macy's bags swinging by her sides. Grace followed behind hesitantly, taking note of the family pictures decorating the walls. The way Lydia barely waited for Mr. Argent to open the door left Grace uneasy. She didn't want to intrude.

"Clear your schedule," the redhead announced as she entered Allison's room, "This could take a while."

Grace stepped in behind her, the doorway mostly blocked by the shopping bags. Allison gave her a sympathetic smile, understanding how overwhelming Lydia could be at times. The shorter brunette didn't mind though. Though Erica had sent her a few apology texts, she wasn't ready to answer them. Something was different about Erica, more than just the clothes she wore.

Allison put her pen down, following Lydia over to her bed as she placed the bags down. Grace smiled, watching the girl stare in amusement at the redhead. The taller brunette let out a small laugh and shake her head. Grace's reaction had been similar when Lydia picked her up with a backseat full of bags.

"How many outfits are you planning on wearing tonight?" she asked.

"It's my birthday party," Lydia said, pulling out the first dress.

Lydia rattled off outfit choices, listing several parts of the evening that would require different outfits. Grace and Allison exchanged a look as Lydia sifted through the bag. The shorter girl had never seen so many clothes. The silence of the bags rustling was interrupted by Allison. Grace watched her face scrunch as she struggled for the right words. Allison clapped her hands together.

"So I uh noticed you didn't send out any invites," she managed, making Grace wince a little.

Lydia didn't look up to answer her. She kept pulling clothes from the bag instead, spreading another dress out on Allison's bed. Grace bit her lip, waiting for the response. Having not been around, she hadn't thought of that before Allison brought it up, but Lydia's recent mishaps might have scared away potential party goers.

"Biggest party of the year, Allison," the redhead said dismissively, "Everyone knows."

Allison was careful with her wording, Grace noticed. The word 'different' was thrown in, a soft pillow to cushion the news. It was clear that the taller brunette didn't think anyone was coming to the party. Grace knew Allison had a point, but she didn't want to agree.

The causal way Lydia kept blowing off Allison told Grace everything. The redhead knew her party might be less popular this year. At least some part of her knew, and she didn't want to talk about it. Grace wanted to tell Allison to back off just a little, but didn't want to get in the middle of anything.

"Just cause things have been off lately."

Grace bit back a laugh thinking about how weird everything had been since she returned. Her thoughts going to the previous Friday- Erica, Isaac, and whatever killed Kara. Now she was buddying up with the popular crowd, ignoring her once best friend and watching Lydia Martin on the verge of another breakdown.

"Especially with certain people," she continued, "Like Jackson."

"I haven't seen him around now that you mention it," Grace chimed in.

"Why do you care about Jackson?" Lydia asked, her eyes flicking between the two girls.

Allison avoided the question with a slight shake of her head. She asked if Lydia expected Jackson to show up. Grace would assume no, but Lydia seemed adamant that everyone was going to her party. She never directly addressed the issue of Jackson, telling Grace she wasn't ready. Allison could wait.

That was the end of that. Lydia wasn't going to let the conversation continue. Her face quickly changed from serious to excited as she reached for a dress. Grace was astounded by her ability to avoid things. Allison's actions stuck with her though. Her facial expression was that of hesitation and masked worry. Something was wrong.

"-I love this one, for me not you," Lydia smiled, holding up another dress.

Grace didn't have time to think about it now. The redhead was holding a floral dress up to Allison, telling her that's what she would wear. She prayed Lydia didn't buy her an outfit, but had no luck. It was short, it was red, and there was no way she would wear it. Lydia continued to ramble on about clothing, holding up various different dresses. A knock on the door interrupted her. Mrs. Argent stood in the doorway, smiling softly at the three girls. The usually intimidating woman looked more motherly in her own home.

"What do you think of this one?" Lydia held up a pale blue dress to show Mrs. Argent.

"It's lovely," she nodded, "Allison, can I grab you for a moment to talk? Just the two of us."

Allison hesitated, letting out a short "um." Grace busied herself helping Lydia sort through the piles. She knew it wasn't her place to say anything, but she wanted to tell Allison to talk to her mother. Every time the girl blew off her mother, the woman got more frustrated and urgent looking. Allison acted oblivious to the ordeal, though Grace wasn't sure how she could. The wild look in Mrs. Argent's eyes screamed trouble.

"Party's at ten," Lydia pointed out.

"But it's okay if Allison's a little late," Grace quickly added, sending a meaningful look towards Lydia.

"Oh, well you be around before then?" her mother asked again.

"I think so."

"You think so?"

There was definitely an edge of urgency to Mrs. Argent's tone.

"I don't know."

Her mother left as soon as the words left Allison's mouth. Grace watched the older Argent disappear down the hall while Allison and Lydia began to talk about the party again. The mindless chatter buzzed in her ears. But when Allison wished Lydia a happy birthday, she was quick to rejoin the conversation and wish her a happy birthday too.

* * *

Grace clasped her hands together, leaning back on Allison's desk. Lydia left to track down Jackson only a few minutes ago, but the silence was starting to get to her. Allison had a pinched look of worry on her face as she folded the clothes and placed them back in the bag. Lydia left one bag behind for each of them containing an outfit complete with jewelry and shoes to wear.

Her head was flooded with thoughts as she stared at a spot on the floor. Erica's continuous texts and calls were beginning to wear her down. She wasn't sure if being around her was the best idea, especially if that meant bringing Isaac along. He alone had invaded her thoughts and dreams since the night of the rave. His bipolar treatment of her was making her head spin. Thankfully, she didn't have to see either of them until Monday.

"What's wrong?" Allison suddenly asked.

"What?"

"You look upset," she pointed out, "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine," she managed a half smile.

"But?"

"Is it weird to ask for friend advice from another friend?" she asked, "Even if you know that friend doesn't get along with the other one?"

"Yes," she smiled comfortingly, "That's what friends are for."

"I've been avoiding Erica since the rave because I'm not sure if we're compatible anymore."

"You didn't have fun?"

"Parties aren't my thing," she shrugged, "And then there was that other thing..."

"Did you see anything?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure."

An unreadable expression crossed Allison's face. Grace hoped she would move back to her problem with Erica, not because the other thing wasn't important, but because she wasn't sure she was ready to think about it. Allison seemed more ready to let her pass than she had with Lydia, thankfully

"Are you sure you're not avoiding Erica because of someone else?"

"Like who?" she asked, the bright red blush on her cheeks betraying her.

"Matt thought he saw you leaving with Isaac."

"Maybe I'm avoiding him a little," Grace admitted.

"I don't think you should let Isaac be the reason you stop being friends with Erica."

"So I should probably start answering her texts?"

"Probably," Allison said before adding, "Just not tonight."

Grace's brows scrunched in confusion.

"She's not coming to Lydia's party?"

"They don't get along," Allison brushed off.

"Does that mean-"

"Boyd and Isaac won't be there either," she said with a knowing look.

She sighed in relief. There was no way she'd be able to handle an encounter with Isaac tonight. Not that she expected him to come, but it was nice to know he definitely wouldn't be there. She ignored the small part of her that was disappointed. Tonight was about Lydia, and she was determined not to let anything ruin that.


End file.
